How in the everlasting fuck did we manage that?" Harry couldn't help but wonder as he stared at the baby in Yung's arms.
"I have no idea," Yung admitted as Harry walked forward and gently took the baby out of his arms. "Though I can't help but think that this is a good thing. If we play this right then we could use him as leverage against the governor."
"Are you kidding me?" Harry blurted out, taking a step away from Yung. "He's a baby."
"He's also the son of the man that is currently in charge of my city, the city that he had just taken over quite recently," Yung pointed out.
"Well, he's still a..." Harry began, only to be interrupted by a loud screech.
"What's that?" Sokka blurted out looking in the direction of the screech.
"It's a messenger hawk," Yung blurted out.
"A Fire Nation messenger hawk," Harry corrected him, seeing the Fire Nation insignia on the strap attached to the bird. The bird flew down and landed on Harry's shoulder, he had barely taken the letter from it before it flapped its wings and took off. He took great care to shift the baby to one arm before opening the letter with his free hand.
"Is it good news?" Sokka asked, biting his lip with worry.
"Somewhat," Harry nodded. "It's from the Fire Nation governor, he thinks we kidnapped his son."
"We sort of did," Sokka couldn't help but point out.
"So he wants to make a trade. His son for...King Bumi."
"You know that that's a trap, right?" Sokka asked, resisting the urge to groan.
"It's almost definitely a trap," Harry sighed.
"So, that's our game plan?" Sokka questioned. "We're going to trade the baby for King Bumi and then we're going to try and avoid whatever trap they might have waiting."
"Oh, absolutely not," Harry shook his head. "What our plan at the moment is that you're going to hand over the baby to them straight away."
"What?" Yung blinked. "Why?"
"Because I don't hold babies, hostage," Harry responded, trying not to glare at the man. He quickly turned his attention back to Sokka. "Hand over the baby straight away,"
"You sure?" Sokka frowned, not entirely against the idea of using the baby for leverage but not entirely supportive of it either. "We would be giving up a big advantage."
"I know this kid's big sister," Harry told him, staring him dead in the eye. "She doesn't get angry easily but if you risk pissing her off then I promise you that she will 'disadvantage' you in the worst possible way."
"Wait, you don't mean..."
"Your girlfriend would be very disappointed," Harry confirmed, glancing down.
"So, what is the plan then?" Sokka asked, feeling a little green.
"You're going to give them the baby and distract them with Aang and Katara while I rescue Bumi." Harry answered.
"How do you plan to do that?" Sokka frowned.
"Appa," Harry called loudly. "Your time has come."
Azula tapped her feet impatiently as she stood on a wooden platform next to a new statue of her father. The statue was more than massive but was still uncompleted given the scaffolding around the base. A crane lowered a metal cage containing the former king, Bumi. He was completely covered from head to toe in metal with only his face sticking out. Despite his situation he still had a silly grin on his face, leading Azula to believe that the old man was either unafraid or mad...maybe both. Probably both.
A grunt behind her reminded her that her friends were still there, Zuko was talking with Mai who was looking just slightly less bored than normal, or at least as much as those two talked. She half-expected their future children to be mutes, if they ever got to that stage. Meanwhile, Ty Lee was entertaining herself with various different handstands and cartwheels. Meanwhile, a short distance behind them were two Fire Nation soldiers that stood as still as statues, waiting for orders.
"Well," Azula said as she turned to look at her friends, having grown bored of the silence. "This is absolutely thrilling," She drawled sarcastically.
"You should try doing something," Ty Lee suggested with a smile as she stood on one hand while her other hand was scratching an itch on her neck. "That's what helps me."
"I don't think we'll be staying bored for long," Zuko spoke up.
"Speak for yourself," Mai huffed.
"What do you mean?" Azula asked Zuko, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Look over there." He pointed past her, Azula immediately whipped her gaze to the direction where he was pointing and saw three people walking towards them. They were quite far away but she could see that two of them were dressed in blue, obviously Water Tribe, while the other was dressed in some sort of orange and brown combination. "I know those three," Zuko growled. "That's the Avatar and his Water Tribe friends."
"The Avatar!" Ty Lee gasped as she righted herself and was now standing on her feet.
"If that's the Avatar then where is Harry?" Azula asked quickly, looking around but not catching any sight of him. Her heart beating faster than before with anticipation.
"I can't see him," Zuko frowned.
"Maybe he's not with them anymore," Mai guessed.
"No," Azula said, sharply and firmly. "He'll be here, somewhere."
"I really hope that this will work," Katara whispered to Sokka and Aang as they got nearer to the statue.
"Me too," Sokka replied, holding the young baby in his arms, thankfully for him the baby was sleeping. He didn't think he could handle the Fire Nation and a crying baby at the same time.
"And if it doesn't work, we'll just do what we do best, improvise," Aang said with a smile.
"That works," Sokka nodded his head.
The rest of their journey was filled with complete silence until they eventually managed to arrive on top of the wooden platform and were able to get a look at the four people opposite them. They were quickly able to recognise Prince Zuko and took a few seconds to take in the appearance of the three girls. The guards operating the crane had lowered it even more, Bumi looked down with his regularly silly grin.
"Hi everybody!" Bumi yelled cheerfully, earning a small smile from Aang.
"You've brought my brother?" Mai asked.
"He's right here," Aang gestured to Sokka who pulled the blanket down to show Tom-Tom's head.
"I take it that you want to trade him for your precious King Bumi?" Azula asked knowingly.
"Nope," Aang chirped. "He's all yours."
"Here, take him," Sokka said, taking a few steps forward.
"Is this some sort of joke?" Azula asked suspiciously. "Be warned, I do not take kindly to tricks."
"It's not a joke or a trick," Katara spoke up. "Just take the baby."
"Please take him," Sokka said, half-pleadingly. "I think he farted, at least...I hope it's a fart."
Mai and Azula looked at each other for several seconds before Azula gave Mai the shortest of nods. Mai walked forwards, looking relatively calm. She had her blades ready and would be able to reach them within a moment's notice. She slowly took Tom Tom from the Water Tribe boy's arms, giving him a steady glare as she did so. She felt a slight bit of pride when he shrivelled under her glare and walked back to her own friends, quickly handing off her brother to the two Fire Nation soldiers. The soldiers quickly nodded and took Tom Tom away.
"I must confess, I don't quite understand your strategy," Azula said in a conversational voice. "Throwing away your bargaining chip, and for what?"
"We don't use babies as hostages," Katara said in an offended voice, glaring at her.
"Please," Azula scoffed. "We're in a war, I know that you've at least considered it. So I want to know why you didn't use him to bargain with us. And don't give me that 'too nice to do it' rubbish. No, you see, I reckon that the real reason you didn't do it is because you have a different plan. I know who you are, Avatar," She said to Aang who hadn't even bothered to hide his tattoos. "So that leads me to my next question, where is Harry?" She asked impatiently.
"Um..." Aang froze and looked back and forth between Sokka and Katara, both of whom looked as stumped as him. "Well...would you mind waiting a few seconds?" He asked hopefully, glancing up at the sky.
"Waiting for what?" Azula asked in an irritated voice. She was about to say more when she heard a scream from the two soldiers operating the crane, she and her gang all looked up in time to see Appa flying towards the crane.
"That's the Avatar's bison!" Zuko yelled.
Meanwhile on top of Appa's saddle stood Harry along with Yung and a couple of earthbenders, Harry took in a deep breath before breathing out and sending an air slash at the chain holding Bumi, the chain was cut with ease and Bumi's cage started falling to the ground. Appa quickly dove under him and Harry sucked in as much air as he could before blowing it out at Bumi's cage, slowing down his descent until Bumi was low enough that Yung and the earthbenders could catch him.
"We did it!" Yung cheered.
"Get him out of here," Harry told them before he looked down towards the ground. "I've got business I need to take care of." He sighed before jumping off of Appa and towards the ground, halfway down he started slowing his landing with airbending until he landed right in front of Aang. "Sorry, I'm late," Harry said jokingly to Aang.
"Harry?" A voice called. Harry stiffened for a moment before turning around and staring at the group in front of him, he looked at Azula who had grown quite a bit since he had last seen her. She was still dressed in high-class royal Fire Nation clothes, complete with her hair exactly how he remembered, in a bun with two bangs hanging down from her forehead.
"Hi Azula," Harry said, his voice soft and warm. "You're looking good." He told her, he was unable to stop himself from noticing the lipstick and makeup she was wearing. 'She always did like her make-up.' He thought to himself.
"You're looking pretty good yourself," She said, locking her gaze onto his emerald green eyes. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" She asked, not really needing an answer. She knew exactly how long it had been.
"Longer than either of us liked, I reckon," Harry agreed. "How has your training been going?"
"Pretty well, all things considered," She said, matching his conversational tone, both of them speaking as if this wasn't the first time they had met in years. "Slowed down a bit when you left but I put in a great deal of effort and let's just say that my lightning blasts are nothing to sniff at."
"Well done," Harry said in a proud voice that made Azula's cheeks turn red.
"Thank you," She said, not breaking eye contact for a moment. "It's good to see you again, Beloved." She said, her voice so soft that it seemed out of place for the ice-cold Fire Nation princess.
"Beloved?" Katara gaped along with Aang and her brother.
"I guess introductions are in order," Harry said, running a hand through his hair.
"It certainly seems that way," Azula said in an amused tone which vanished near instantly as she looked between Harry and Katara. "I certainly hope that you haven't gotten yourself a girlfriend." She said, her voice colder than ice yet holding an underlying tone of danger that Harry reckoned would make even Voldemort think twice before messing with her. It seemed like everybody else also picked up on it as everyone was now staring at her as they were inching slightly away.
"No," Harry said calmly but very, very quickly. "She is not," He said in a firm voice.
"That's good," Azula said, relaxing enough that the aura of danger seemed to have died down.
"Anyway, time for introductions," Harry continued, he started by pointing at Aang. "This is Aang, he's the Avatar as you've already worked out. His best friend is a bison and he loves it when you rub his head."
"Wait, him or the bison?" Ty Lee asked.
"Both," Harry answered without missing a beat.
"He's right," Aang shrugged.
"Then that's Sokka," Harry gestured to the Water Tribe boy. "I call him 'Ponytail', he's not a total dickhead but he is a bit of a dickhead."
"Oi!" Sokka said in an offended voice.
"Oh, and he's in love with the moon," Harry added offhandedly.
"No, she just has a bit of the moon spirit in her, that's totally different!" Sokka argued before he paused and saw the odd looks he was getting from everyone. "I hate you." He told Harry bluntly.
"He loves me," Harry shrugged before gesturing to Katara. "That's his little sister, Katara, she's a waterbending prodigy. Will probably lecture you if you don't behave."
"I don't lecture," Katara said, glaring at Harry.
"Now, guys, you all remember Zuko," Harry said to the gang. "Then with him, we have Mai, the girl whose brother we just accidentally kidnapped. She's bored now."
"Pretty much," Mai nodded, even sounding bored.
"The pink one is Ty Lee,"
"Hi Harry!" Ty Lee said with a cheery wave.
"Hi Ty Lee," Harry said automatically before he turned back to the gang. "Do not underestimate her or let her get too close to you, she'll fuck you all up." He whispered to them before he straightened up. "And finally we have Princess Azula, Zuko's younger sister and daughter of Fire Lord Ozai."
"And?" Azula asked, leadingly whilst raising a perfect eyebrow.
"She's also my...fiancée," Harry added before closing his eyes, waiting for their overreactions.
"What?!" The trio blurted out before staring back and forth between a somewhat tired-looking Harry and the smirking Fire Nation princess.